there are no word that excuse the killing of innocents. >> the president also paid tribute to u.s. ambassador chris stevens, vowing to bring his killers to justice. and he promised to continue his support of democracy in the muslim world. the romney/ryan campaign will be crisscrossing ohio, a key battleground state where new polls show they're trailing president obama. they will focus on how they plan to handle the debt crisis, improve unemployment and cut spending if they're elected to office. meantime, ann romney doing her part as well appearing on the tonight show with jay leno where she reflected on the possibility of her husband becoming the first mormon at the white house. >> on a serious note, talk about the significance if he gets elected being the first mormon president. >> i love the fact that we have the first african-american president, that means to me, that we're leaving prejudices behind. i would hope that if mitt were elected we would see more of the same. >> she also talked about how

much she and her husband love shopping at costco, saying she recently picked up an $18, three pack of kirkland dress shirts he wears "all the time." who doesn't love shopping at costco? you need two things and get a cartful. >> the romneys at costco, indeed. her first time being on the late night talk show like that. it was good. getting into the nitty-gritty. they want to again, the human factor. show the lighter side. she was trying to do that for mitt. he need the help. downen two battleground states. florida, and ohio not looking kindly. miles to go. what a week from today. october 3rd. big event. >> denver. that will be the first of three presidential debates. >> they say, ironically enough, romney may have an advantage. he had 19 debates during the primaries. all the republican debates. the president is rusty after four years. see how that factors out. both men doing a lot of prep. >> all this dirt, dirty lawn dream was aired out for everybody to see and hear.

romney during the 19 debates. >> yeah, yeah, a lot of practice for sure. all right, in california, nearly 1,000 firefighters plan an all-out assault on a fire that is still smoldering near the border with mexico. >> the blaze killed one person and burned a dozen homes. abc's brandi hitt from los angeles with more on the destructive fire season so far. brandi. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. a deadly and costly year battling wildfires. here in california we haven't even reached the peak of fire season yet. fast-moving flames from the wildfire have kept fire crews in southeastern san diego county on their toes for three days. >> there was just flames that came up over the top -- i couldn't believe it. i thought i was dead. >> reporter: unfortunately this fire has turned deadly. firefighters recovered the body of a man found inside his burned home. neighbors say 82-year-old carson robinson only had one leg and refused to leave despite evacuation orders.

>> it looks like they tried three times to do reverse 911 calls, a neighbor may have tried to bang on his door to get him to evacuate. >> reporter: this fire season on track to become the worst in a decade. so far more than 8.6 million acres have burned. >> there is no question the drought has played a rolen the fires. i think the big thing about how dry has been this year thoeshug the fires have been much bigger. the cost is skyrocketing, utah, washington and california have burned through their fire fighting budgets with california's costs topping $133 million in the last three months. many families in san diego county are now returning home to find they have lost everything. >> tired. we don't have nothing to come back to, so -- >> reporter: with dozens of homes still in the wildfire's path. as i mention wildfire season here in california is far from over. typically october is one of the worst months for wildfires.

rob, paula, back to you. >> thank you, brandi. a look at your midweek weather. thunderstorms move through the ohio valley. with a slight possibility of tornados. jacksonville, tallahassee, could see some showers. it will be humid here in the northeast with storms by the afternoon. >> phoenix in the upper 90s. above average for this time of year. boise warmer than usual. upper midwest getting a shot of cool, fall air. minneapolis in the mid 60s. >> this story breaks my heart. some good news for those that believe everything is better with bacon. >> everything. >> everything. >> britain's national pork association, or pig association is warning that pork is about to get priceyer. the group lays blame on drought, damaged corn and soy crops sent feed costs soaring. >>en fact pork producers in indiana have cut down pig herd to stay in business. that means less pork that will cost more. and here on the overnight where we have limitless budget, we,

we -- >> the last four pieces of bacon on earth. >> yes. here they are. >> oh. >> not too proud. i will eat off the desk. >> did you bring these from home? >> the cheap bacon. >> costco, i get precooked bacon. warm it up 30 second. we go through an entire pack, 60 pieces in a week. >> you said something scary during the staff meeting. you said you eat bacon every day. >> i exaggerated. every other day. >> that's a lot of bacon. >> what? what's that? >> this is not a heart healthy snack. be careful there. it is delicious. so good. here are fun items to think about, baconnaise, mayonnaise/bacon. a bacon martini. look at that. oh. that's a little. that bacon isn't excited. but i bet that drink is pretty good. >> uh-huh. >> this is my favorite, think about this. bacon floss.

bacon-flavored floss. still getting your dental health. the great taste of bacon in your gums. healthy. instead of the more sesels in o teeth. >> cholesterol? >> good. >> turkey bacon. >> i don't taste a big difference. ,000 turkey bacon and real bacon. go with turkey bacon. have a bacon craving, don't want to go with the bad stuff. >> that's blasphemous. >> my bacon. >> the song, carly rae jepsom, the song you can't get out of your head. coming up find out the next song you won the get out of your head. >> beg sig sip of water. >> can you be too honest? one man is finding out, yes. he is being blasted for revealing which of his kids is his favorite. you're watching "world news now." ♪ every time i look at you ♪ just like me ♪ makes you laugh because you have your dad's ears ♪ >> announcer: "world news now"

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imagine being the guy who did something relatively innocent. he was just blogging about being a dad and wrote down what his feelings were. seems fairly innocent. >> what if those feelings included an admission of actually liking one child more than the other? yeah, bad decision. big online backlash as abc's amy robach reports. >> reporter: sibling rivalry has long been lampooned in classic tv shows like "the brady bunch" but what happens when a parent says they look one child more than another. bob bishop father of two did just that. writing a blog that said he has

chosen a favorite son. it is stirring up quite debate on parenting sites. if he was to be absolutely honest my oldest son is the favorite of the two. he and i are adventurous partners in crime and i can't imagine life without him. bishop admitsen a follow up post, to me he is more fun. i don't love either of my sons any more than the other, but i do look them differently. i'd be willing to bet you are the same. online the response was swift and brutal. one reader writing, that favorite kid part could hurt someone's feelings one day. while another wrote, did you really write that your older son is your favorite? that's horrendous and cruel. but some people understand where bishop is coming from. there is some truth to what he says. i think all parents sort of favor one. >> reporter: this child psychologist, worries outward displays of favoritism could have ramifications for children as they grow. >> forming relationships with

peers, teachers and other adults could be potentially more difficult for kids if they have some how gotten this notion that they're not as lookable. >> bishop stands by his blog posts. >> it is something we all have inside. and i am honest when i write and so i wrote about that moment that struggle i have. and told the stories about my kids. >> reporter: amy robach, abc news, new york. >> start saving the money for the therapy now. >> yeah. >> still to come, the hottest new songs you may never have heard of. >> no, i haven't. we will hear from a new york city dj who has his finger on the pulse of the next new thing. "insomniac playlist" is

♪ hey i just met you and this is crazy but here's my number ♪ >> we all know that song because we heard it all summer long.

but of course it is no longer summer. >> what's new for fall? well we get some answers in our debut edition of "insomniac playlist." >> i am ben harvey. i am a radio dv for 92.3 now in new york city and co-host of the sixpack on sirius. the song of the summer was "call me maybe." and now we are wondering what is the song of the fall going to be? you know what it might actually be by carly rae jepsen, her album "kiss" just came out. a whopping 16 songs on it. she is already on the radio and "call me maybe" is being played but her single "this kiss" could be one of the biggest songs this fall. ♪ this kiss is something i came up with ♪ ♪ your lips are undeniable >> i think it is official, carly rae jepsen is no longer a one

hit wonder. katy perry and rihanna watch out. she's here to stay. another song, by taylor swift "we are never, ever getting back together." ♪ we are never, ever getting back together ♪ >> reporter: it is breaking records in the first week alone she got more digital downloads than any other female artist ever. like, ever, ever. the big question about the song, who is she refusing to get back together with? some people think that they is joe jonas. it could be jake gillenhall, if that's the case she doesn't get much sympathy from many people since he is arguably one of the hottest guys on the planet. ♪ getting back together >> reporter: the hottest track right nowen of what the kids are calling edm, electronic dance music, is spectrum by zed. zed, he is 22 years old. a musical prodigy.

he is from germany and he is blowing up. his new album, clarity, comes out october 9th. lady gaga has said she has a major musical crush on him. guess who else wants to work with him? justin bieber. once you get the biebs involved, you are officially bfd. ♪ bring it back ♪ tell them,0 to play it again ♪ >> why do we all go out to the club? trey songz has written a dissertation on club culture and narrowed it down to two reasons. ♪ lady and the drinks >> reporter: unless you are listening to unedited version, then it is the [ bleep ] and the drinks. actually it is amazing, really catchy. ♪ ladies and the drinks >> now i know who trey songz is and zedd. >> according to ryan seacrest,

top 40, demi lova,000 to's "give your heart a break" and carly's song "call me maybe" number 17 on the list. >> katy perry in the top five. >> indeed. we will be back with the "the mix" after this. don't go far. 3q

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prove it. enough is enough. d-con no view, no touch trap snaps to kill instantly. no looking, no touching. d-con. get out. welcome back, everybody to "the mix" here. all right, so, some people don't leave jobs on good terms. okay. apparently a guy who worked for this media agency in london. so on his way out the door he had a lot of issues with his boss. so he wrote a kind of a good-bye e-mail here. one of the lines says about his boss -- he regularly made sexist and bigoted remarks and quote, took a female colleague out for a drink on the day he interviewed her and later took her back to the mec offices that night and had sexual relations with her in the meeting rooms on the 3rd floor. he put all this guy's dirty laundry out there on the way out

the door. on top of that the e-mail has gone viral in terms of people spreading it all around about the guy's business. in london. the company had toer to eer iss statement. we are taking this seriously given the highly personal nature of the e-mail we cannot respond further. their response did not include a denial of what the guy put out there, but investigating the matters out there, to air your boss' dirty laundry, an e-mail, that's the way to exit the job, disgruntled. >> going out with a bang. >> literally. >> okay. kindergartners are now going to be subject to national testing, believe it or not. more exams on the way including a test meant to determine if 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds are on track to succeed in college and future careers. at least 25 states now mandate this. advocates say this, it is vital to test early and often, too

many fall behind in their first years of school. opponents say that the testing puts undue stress on the 5 and 6-year-old who need to be playing and interacting and learning social skills. my little girl has a test on friday. she has to learn how, spell i, am, and blue. off awe th >> that's good. what do they test in kindergarten, stack the blocks? >> cool seeing her to read and spell. >> watch your little girl grow up, little caroline. i met last week. david blain -- >> mr. rob. >> mr. rob. >> master illusionist, david blain, will do something in new york. his latest stunt. stand between two electrodes and allow 1 million volts flow through his body, if he gets out of the zone, steps away, or moves at all, it could stop his heart. the whole thing streamed on the internet.

1 million volt charge, surge, through his body, nonstop for 72 hours. >> is blaine insane? >> i think so. are you kidding

this morning on "world news now" -- official outcry. demand to end the nfl referee lock out get louder from both the players and the fans. now even the leader of the free world is weighing in. it is wednesday, september 26th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good wednesday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> what? what? we're in the house? >> what's up, stranger, what's going on? good to be back on base. >> is this "reunited" again. ♪ welcome back

>> welcome back, mr. kotter. doing a little "good morning america." always good to be back at home base. caffeinated andeady to roll. >> you rocked it by the way. >> my lindsay lohan coverage. wait for the emmy. all over her. >> i'm paula faris. the latest on the backlash against the refs who made the controversial call during monday night's seahawks/packers' game in a mont. also this half-hour, president obama addresses the united nations and has harsh words for one nation in particular. >> as usual, iran, the elephant in the room in that one. plus also this morning, an emotional reunion. a woman who was nearly killed by an out-of-control car. look at the tape. the police officer who literally saved her life. they have been reunited. an incredible story. she is very lucky to be alive. look at that. how close that was. how tragic that could have been. her life was changed. but her dreams remain. a paralyzed woman's vow to walk

down the aisle for her wedding day. >> little bit of inspiration on a wednesday morning. great story. first, we have been talking and the country talking about this suns mince monday night. the pressure to do something about the replacement refs. it all picked up steam after this call monday night giving seattle the highly doubtful, questionable, illegitimate victory. >> see one waving it off. one saying touchdown. now even the presidential candidates are weighing in on the issue. abc's karen travers joining us this morning with the very latest. hi, karen. good morning, rob, paula. seattle fans are thrilled. packers' fans are disgusted. and players and coaches around the nfl are fed up with these replacement refs. >> reporter: could this play be the tipping point? the seattle green bay game went down to the wire. on the final play, a hailary pass from seattle to try and win the game, a controversial call.

one ref says touchdown. another says no. after ten minutes of review. >> the call on the field stand. touchdown. >> reporter: and seattle wins. the nfl was locked in the labor dispute with the regular referees, so the league has been using replacement refs from the college level and arena league. >> they're not qualified to handle the pace and the speed of an nfl game. >> reporter: espn's michael wilbon sees the lockout lasting weeks not days. >> ratings keep going up. popularity of the league know it threatened. not sure they care as much as people going crazy monday night. >> reporter: on the campaign trail, rare bipartisan agreementment about the on going dispute. president obama said the controversial call was quote terrible and the regular refs need to get back on the feed. in an interview with cnn mitt romney agreed. >> i would see experienced referees, with nfl experience

come back on nfl playing field. >> reporter: the nfl upheld the victory and said the game winning touchdown should not have been overturned. the anger is growing and so is the pressure on the nfl to end this labor dispute. rob, paula. back to you. >> thank you, karen. had a chance to watch the game, sat there stunned on the couch, are you kidding me. i'm shocked it stood up to the review. what's that about? >> yeah. don't think there is any good explanation. interesting how much money changed hand here, anywhere from 150 to 250 on the botched call, in terms of vegas odds makers. important to note, not that the permanent refs are, are -- actually striking. it's that the owners have locked them out. at this point. so, there is really nothing that, that they can do until the owners step up and, and try to get something done. which they were working on on tuesday. >> you would hope the outrage, national media coverage since monday night could prompt resolution on this. everyone is outraged by what a horrendously bad call that was.

in case where they find the guys from, the guy who made the touchdown call, controversial, a regional executive from bank of america, only officiated high school and junior college football games a nother replacement, not involved in the game monday night had been fired from the lingerie football league. he was fired for incompetence from the lingerie league. what does that tell you? >> well, would you be able to -- objectively officiate a football game that involved women in lingerie looking hot? very distracting. >> always the goal of the referee to stay abreast of the situation on the field. >> on top of it. definitely on top of the situation. >> got to get on top of it. >> got to get a leg up. >> good to be back on the overnights. so much more fun. president obama's big speech at the united nations. ended with remarks about murdered ambassador chris stevens. the president told the general

assembly our future will be deter mind by people like stevens. the president defended the filmmakers' right to make it and condemned the deadly reaction. >> there is no speech that justifies mindless violence. there are no word that excuse the killing of innocence. >> the president also had some pretty tough word for iran. warning that time to diplomatically resolve tehran's nook le nuclear issue is running out. >> a new poll might cause concern for the mitt romney campaign. an eight-point lead in the state of ohio, a key battleground state. keep in mind no republican has won the white house without winning the buckeye state. and in florida it's not much better. the president also leads by four points. mitt romney is accusing the white house of failing to level with the american people about the death of ambassador chris stevens and three others in libya. the republican presidential hopeful says the september 11th attack on the u.s. consulate and

benghazi was clearly an act of terrorism. but he says president obama won't use that language instead referring to the deadly attack as a bump in the road on the way to democracy. >> he caught flak for that. you can't call the death of the four people, particularly an ambassador, a bump in, a bump in the road that seemed glib and callus and disrespectful to the lives lost in that. the white house sent mixed signals on thisser to. was it, premeditated attack, coincided with 9/11, premeditated, calculated or were they piggybacking over protest over the film. ambassador susan rice say one thing. the president say another. they're not clear on what they thing the reason is behind it. that's worrisome. >> his spokesman, jay carnie, reversed ship. never clearly said it was an act of terrorism. so. >> lots of questions. still lives lost. moving on this morning. a texas man who had gotten three reprieves from the supreme court has now been executed.

foster was pronounced dead 25 minutes after his lethal injection began. three times last year the high court stopped foster's execution including one time when he was moments away from death. foster was convicted of murdering a woman he metten a ba -- metten a bar. federal officials release aid report about two extremely close calls in chicago's busy o'hare airport. in both in stances, the planes came so close to colliding that pilots had to rely on quick reflexes, reflexes, and sheer luck. as abc's alex perez explains, changes have been made to keep it from happening again. >> reporter: a potentially deadly midair collision, express jet flight 6075 was taking off from chicago's o'hare airport in may 2011 when panning suddenly filled the cockpit. sky west 5958 coming in on a quote, collision course. the express jet pilot was able to react quickly averting disaster. newly released interviews reveal

the pilot's fear after nearly being killed, i keyed up the meek and yelled to tt comptroller what the [ bleep ] was that, he said. just a few months later, close call at o'hare airport, same situation, same runways. as a result of the close calls here at o'hare airport, the faa has taken corrective action. there is a new virtual intersection warnened and the controller responsible for the two run ways now sit next to each other to eliminate confusion. there were seven serious near collisions across the country in 2011. in this case, the credit goes to the pilots. >> it took overt pilot action to avoid an error. we got lucky. that's -- that's clearly cause for concern. >> reporter: the faa points out 99.99% of airline operations went off without a hitch. though pilots and passenger maze wonder if that's good enough. alex perez, abc news, chicago. at least one tornado touched down in a rural area near saint

louis. as a severe storm moved through. the twister destroyed an out building and damaged several homes in the town and two people were hurt when high wind flipped over a tractor-trailer on interstate 64. well, country music star, toby keith always a big supporter of americans serving in the war zones. >> he made many trips overseas to entertain troops on the front lines. he has done his fair share here at home. the recent concert in houston he brought a soldier's wife on stage for performance of "american soldier." >> love the reunions. grab a teissue. near the end, her husband walked out on stage, a surprise appearance for a long-awaited reunion. i love that embrace. >> well done, toby. nicely done, man. always good to see reunions. the guys and women all slowly coming home. good. >> thankfully. coming up. something straight out of the

jetson's, a driverless car. we'll take a test drive and find out when it is coming to a dealership near you. >> first, a dramatic crash and heroic save. a woman reunites with the cop that got her out of the way of an out-of-control car. great story coming up. you are watching "world news now." ♪ ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by just for men auto stop. it's time to change the way we clean.

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♪ could i stay up with you all night ♪ ♪ i'd know how to save a life >> welcome back, everybody. you might have seen stunning video we showed you last week. a police officer in texas saving a young woman from being hit by an oncoming vehicle. >> this is a crazy video here. that incident will link their lives together of course forever. now as abc's ryan owens tells us they have gotten together for a very emotional reunion. >> reporter: a week after police officer phillip standofer pushed her out of the way of his oncoming car it almost certainly saved her life. sarah beady still struggles to put her gratitude into word. >> thank you doesn't cover the fact that i am here and talking. >> reporter: that night in lubbock, texas it was the 19-year-old student talking to

officers about a fender-bender she just witnessed. watch again as a van with an alleged drunk driver behind the wheel plows into the police car sending it barrelling towards them. officer standofer grabs beady and pushes her to safety. the other cop barely escapes too. >> i knew that she didn't see the car coming. so i just moved and got her out of the way. >> reporter: in fact while beady was safe, the man who just saved her was actually penned between the cars. >> i looked at my leg and saw that it didn't look like it was pointing in the direction it should have been. >> i remember hitting the concrete and closing my eyes again because i wasn't sure if i was going to open them up. >> reporter: beady escaped with a few scrapes on her face. officer standofer's leg is still bruised but remarkably nothing more serious than a few pulled muscles. >> humbled by the opportunity to do so. >> if he hadn't been there, i

wouldn't know what happened to me. >> reporter: a humble hero who nearly sacrificinged himself to save a stranger. ryan owens, abc news, dallas. >> you never know where your guardian angels may be and when you need them the most. incredible there. >> we don't hear stories like that enough. usually we bring you doom and gloom. the alleged driver, driver of the van, mentioned allegedly driving drunk. >> was arrested, and was charged with drunk driving. good all the way around. >> uh-huh. up next -- generational driving. what? >> we are hitting the road, four wheels, everything a normal car has, plus, an added advantage. no hands. >> wait, you use hands now? >> well -- >> on the blackberry, iphone, knee on the wheel. kidding, just joking. >> we'll be back.

. ♪ meet george jetson ♪ his wife judy >> all right. >> oh, my! on that note. before signing the bill that paves the way for self-driving cars, yes, i said self-driving cars, governor jerry brown called the vehicles "science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality." >> they're closer to being reality than you might think. in fact, abc's jim avila has already taken one out for a test

drive. >> reporter: you have seen this -- cars that slam on the brakes before you hit a pole. but here's something you have never seen. the car of the future making the driver totally unnecessary. no hand. google is working on one. and the federal government is sponsoring a field test in ann arbor, michigan with cars that automatically swerve past potential accidents and alert you to oncoming hazards. and now this at general motors' test track, i sat in the driver's seat as this cadillac at high speeds stayed in its lane. at 60 miles an hour it stopped on its own even when a car driving 30 miles slower pulleden front of us. >> we can foresee the day when vehicles will avoid collisions. >> reporter: it has been a car maker's dream since george jetson sat in his automated flying car. >> the vehicle can take complete control and take you to your destination in comfort, safety

and security. >> reporter: this prototype called super cruise uses radars, cameras, and gps to drive itself. hand are off the steering wheel. feet are off the pedals. i can look away. don't dupe tho this at home they time the driver can take back control. but on the highway when driving is the least fun and humans are easily distracted, super cruise can safely navigate the hazards. >> the system is, does not get distracted. it doesn't fall asleep. >> reporter: expected to be in the first gm cars as early as 2015. jim avila, abc news, detroit. >> wonder how people feel putting their safety and other driver's safety in the hand of the computer. seems scary a little bit. >> $2,000, roughly what it will cost. ♪ meet george jettison >> what do i have in my hand? >> something futuristic. >> i will admit i am a distra distracted driver.

i let my husband do the driving. >> as a society, we send conflicting message. don't text, stay focused, all the laws about that. on the other hand. we're saying, take your hand off, let the car do it all. seems odd. >> kind of like the show, right? >> yeah, exactly like the show. we'll be right back. the arteries of your dishwasher are constantly clogging up

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[ dog barks ] aah! oh! [ clears throat ] yeah, that was a sneeze. i think i sprayed myself. [ male announcer ] new mr. clean select-a-size magic eraser. lets you pick the right size for every job. ♪ ♪ >> abc is strong. top ten, right? >> yes. >> finally this half-hour, inspirational young woman that you aren't likely to forget anytime soon. she was helping someone in need when she suffered a life changing injury. >> that has not stopped her from moving forward with some very ambitious plan. michelle wright of our pittsburgh station has her incredible story. >> reporter: elisa boil says the morning is all a blur.

the nursing student on her way to ruby memorial hospital when she and others stpd s stopped a man trapped in his jeep. they pulled him out when some body yelled a trick was coming. >> when i turned around, there was a semi, not stopping. >> reporter: elisa, camy and a man they rescued all jumped over the barrier not realizing they would call almost 50 feet from the overpass. elisa blacked out. >> when i did weak up. i remember just being in pain. it was the worst pain of my life. >> reporter: she was the most severely injured of the three. when she woke up after surgery this was the first thing she heard. >> they told me i would never walk again. the doctor told me i had a 1% chance of walking. >> reporter: paralyzed her thoughts turned to the man she agreed to marry. nathan. stationed at fort bragg, north

carolina, nathan assured her he was not going anywhere. now in a wheelchair she deter menned to walk down the aisle like she dreamed. that determination brings her here. a second look showed her spinal cord was not severed as the first doctor said. suddenly there was hope. >> i have feelings about here in my thighs. the doctor gave me 1% chance of walking again. >> you are out to prove them wrong? >> yes, i am. >> reporter: an inspirational bride determined to make her dream come true. >> oh. >> let's all root for her. amazing, too, 1% shot. still worth taking. she is going for it. incredible. >> her disposition. cheery disposition. not down in the dumbs dumped. >> rooting for her. be there on the wedding day. if she walks down the aisle. >> we'll all be looking forward to seeing it. thatality ne

that's the news for this half-hour. check us out on face book. wnnfans.com. and coming up more from abc.

this morning on "world news now" -- conng >> good luck, blaine. this morning on "world news now" -- confronting the anger against america. president obama uses the world stage to talk about recent uprisings in the muslim world. >> his address to the u.n. general assembly includes a passionate defense of free speech. it is wednesday, september 26th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm paula faris on this hump day. >> that's right. midweek. here we go. good morning, everybody. good to be back. i'm rob nelson. we'll get to the president's speech including his powerful tribute to murdered ambassador chris stevens coming up in just a second. also in this half-hour,

officially fed up. football fans are still fuming over that botched call by the replacement refs. so many people are venting on our facebook page. we're going to share a few of the juicy one s coming up in just a second. everybody is talking about the end of the monday night game. >> a fair call for those who live in seattle. outside of seattle, botched call. >> indeed. forget living large, in san francisco, go small or go home. we'll give you've the nickel tour of some mini-sized apartments. when we say mini, we are talking -- >> like 150 square feet. so think about that for a second. >> like nada. >> i don't know how they do it. >> people get very inventive. if it saves rent money. not a bad thing. plus, lady gaga, of course is known for revealing quite a bit. there she is right there. but now, she strips down to reveal a fuller figure.

and to explain also why she is proud of the way she looks. catch up with a little, caught a little flak for her weight. but now is kind of revealing something personal from years ago. >> very personal. >> interesting. gaga always in the news. we begin with the president's challenge at the u.n. calling on world leaders to stand up against violence and extremism. >> president obama devoted much of his speech to the arab democratic movement, free speech and stopping the violence like the attack in libya that claimed the lives of the u.s. ambassador and three other americans as well. here is abc's jake tapper. >> reporter: president obama made the focus of his united nation's address about a man who wasn't there. >> i would like to begin today by telling you about an american named chris stevens. >> reporter: with a tribute to the u.s. ambassador to libya who was attacked and killed in the dead of night in benghazi, two weeks ago, he extolled the humanity and hope stevens stood for. >> we are serious about the ideals and must reaffirm our

future will be determined by people like chris stevens and not by his killers. >> reporter: in many ways the president's speech seemed targeted at his domestic audience. accused by republicans of glibly downplaying the unrest in the muslim world, the president demanded an end to the violence. >> there is no speech that justifies mindless violence. there are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. >> while only days ago the white house was asking youtube to review whether the anti-muslim film violated the terms of use, the president offered a full-throated defense of freedom of speech. >> like me, the majority of americans are christian, yet we do not ban blaspheme against our sacred beliefs. >> and a call to stop those who fan the flames against the west and the allies. >> it is time to marginal ize those who use hatred of america or the west or israel as the central organizing principal of politics. >> reporter: a smaller part of this speech was iran's nuclear

program. a continued source of frustration and tension despite efforts at outreach and tough sanctions, that country has more than doubled its production rate of enriched uranium since obama took office. >> the united states will do what we must to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. >> reporter: during last year's u.n. conference, president obama met separately with more than a dozen world leaders. this year he had no such meetings scheduled prompting criticism he is more focused on campaigning than governing. in his place, secretary of state hillary clinton met with almost 20 world leaders. jake tapper, abc news, the white house. iran's president mahmoud ahmadinejad has his turn before the u.n. delegates later today. ahead of his speech, ahmadinejad tells the associated press a new world order needs to emerge. away from american bullying and domination. he says despite international sanctions over its nuclear progm, iran is better off than it was when he took office back in 2005. >> he is known for getting up at the mike saying pretty in --

inflammatory things. you will see some folks walk out when he gets to certain parts of his speech. we have seen this play out before. and the outcry over the nuclear program, he is saying it is an excuse by the west to dominate his country. talk about the nuclear program there. but it's -- he is a controversial figure. again you are seeing the talk get more heated about potential that israel would strike iran to prevent further nuclear development and that inevitably would drag this country back into another war. and, i think, ahmadinejad himself used the term world war iii. for what it could potentially mean if that does happen. scary. >> and he drew flak at the u.n. for posing for a picture and posing with the peace sign as well. >> all right. moving on, republican presidential hopeful mitt romney and his running mate, paul ryan, on the stump in o-h-i-o today. a key battle ground state where new poll numbers show their campaign is in some serious

trouble. they're going to be touting their plans to tackle the debt crisis, improve unemployment and cut spending. but romney seems to have strayed from his long time insistence that president obama raised taxes during his first term now. he is saying the president did not. >> his idea now is, he has one new, one new idea. i admit this one thing he did not do in his first four years he said he will do in the next four years, which is to raise taxes. >> the romney campaign is standing by the argument that obama has raised taxes. fact check, obama has raised taxes on cigarettes and tanning beds and not income taxes. though romney's own spokesman says it has happened 19 times. the nfl and locked out referees have met behind closed doors trying to resolve their differences. the meeting comes amid growing outrage over the call made monday night by a replacement ref. even president obama and mitt romney have called for a return to the real refs something they can agree on, right. but espn's michael wallbon said

he see s the lockout lasting weeks not days. >> the ratings keep going up and popularity of the league is not threatened. i am not sure they care as much as the people who were going crazy monday night. >> a wisconsin eye doctor, love this, now offering the refs free lasik surgery to improve their vision. surgery that costs roughly around $3,000. >> i don't get it here, too. if you look at the background, some of these replacement refs they're not qualified to officiate an nfl game. not at the pace of, of, you know pro sports compared to collegiate, high school, some of the guys are, you know, that's what their background is in. but nothing kind of -- i spoke to the moment, one photo, one saying touchdown. ref to the left saying no it's not. that to me says it all about how the officiating has gone in the nfl this season. they have got to step in get it done. >> you can't blame the replacement refs they're put in a lose-lose situation, they're put in a bad situation, they're not prepared for the speed of the game. now the nfl, pa, players union,

filed a grievance against owners saying this could be a violation of their collective bargaining agreement. and demaury smith who heads up the players union, sent this to the players tuesday. he said the decision by the owners to lock out the referees, jeopardizes your health and safety. contrary to some reports, we are not crossing any picket line. the referees are not on strike. the owners locked them out. we are actively reviewing any and all possible actions to protect you. >> the uproar crescendoed to a point, this needs to get done. a few more weeks of this crazy. all right, in other news this morning, mexico's baja coast is rocking after a strong earthquake and aftershocks. the 6.2 shaker hit in the late afternoon, 47 miles north east of the city of la paz, followed by a 4.8 and 4.6 aftershock a few minutes later. so far no reports of any major injuries or significant damage. with that we will take a look at your wednesday weather. new york, d.c., boston, see showers in the morning. thunderstorms in the late afternoon.

summer though hangs on in florida and georgia with the possibility of some afternoon storms. it is warmer than usual in texas. had a chance to visit texas last week, loved my time there. and oklahoma. dallas, mid 80s. see 92 instead. chicago, minneapolis. cooler than usual temperatures. pleasant to the northwest. seattle at 60. of course, everybody is warm and cozy in seattle after the seahawks' win. >> the glow of false victory must be cozy. yeah. very lucky 12-year-old boy is celebrating his first kiss, not from the girl next door -- >> ooh. >> not alone under the tree or behind the high school gym. like some folks. >> first came love, then came marriage, then k-i-s-s-i-n-g. no, this boy's first smooch came courtesy of country superstar carrie wood. she spotted the boy with a sign that said "will you be my first

kiss?" she called him to stage and said, "how do you want to do this?" he said, "lip to lip." >> oh, my goodness, gracious. >> got to go for the gold, baby. well done. jr. >> after a warning that her husband was nearby, yes, carrie, obliged. dubbing the boy the smartest kid ever. >> i would say so. smart kid. got his first kiss from carrie. a lifelong story. >> see, missed me, didn't you? >> no. >> all right, coming up next, we received nearly 200 impassioned responses to our facebook "question of the day." we'll share what you had to say, whew, about the talk of the country right now, the nfl replacement refs. >> first a nickel tour of san francisco's newest apartment, a penny for every 30 square feet. it's all coming up on "world news now." ♪ ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by lysol. weather brought to you by lysol.

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♪ ♪ a little tom petty and stevie nicks there with appropriately the apartment song. oddly enough. brings us to our next story, which is about -- apartments? >> good call. we have seen small apartments here in new york that's for sure. here is mine. but in san francisco, they're thinking about going really, really small. abc's cecilia vega went

apartment hunting. >> reporter: ooh it is small. it turns out it doesn't take very long to tour a 150 square foot home. foyer/dressing room/closet/pantry. /kitchen/bathroom. you can almost from the bathroom reach in and grab something from the fridge. that is convenient. welcome home. a model home in berkeley, california, to be exact, where everything is always within arm's reach. a home that is smaller than the average office cubicle and about half the size of most parking spaces. >> we have a food -- foot rest/coffee table. >> reporter: my feet are in the kitchen i'm on my bed/couch. this may be the future of city living. san francisco is considering allowing some of the smallest apartments in the country at 220 square feet.

there is really only one way to describe it. >> definitely not tiny. micro. >> reporter: other cities like new york have tried to go small too. but in some of the toughest real estate markets, how much does size really matter? >> this was the ultimate organizing challenge for myself. >> reporter: the ultimate challenge in this house, it wasn't finding a place to work, relax or even fall asleep. where do i put all my shoes? cecilia vega, abc news, san francisco. >> wow. interesting. the reason this is news, the city's board of supervisors is proposing changes to the building code that would allow for some of the smallest homes in the country, because it is so expensive in san francisco like other cities around the country. >> pricing people out of the city. kind of what is happening in new york as well. >> see, we don't have the problem here. >> lounging on the chaise. >> the lucrative overnight anchor salary, we are living at "666 park avenue." plug an abc show while we're at

it. >> living large. real lions as well. >> look at you, paula. a nighty you have got on there? >> that's not a nighty. i don't know what it is? is it a nighty? i look good in it. don't i? >> you look good. >> better than in real life. keep super imposing me. >> when we come back, the last dance. the first all-star has left the ballroom. show you who got the boot first. >> sayonara. lady gaga takes her clothes off to make a point. the pictures next in "the skinny." >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from

♪ skinny ♪ so skinny >> okay, we have a lot to get to in "the skinny." beginning with "dancing with the stars" season 15. who got -- >> 15 or 50? >> feels like 50. >> yeah. here we go -- >> uh-huh. season 15. kirstie alley, bristol palin, pamela anderson. bottom three. did you see pamela anderson's dance from last night? >> i did not. saw little clips. but i missed the show. >> it was quite painful. yeah. so, no surprise that she was booted off. which is -- >> oh. >> very, very disappointing to all the dudes in the control room didn't want to see her go early. she says she'll appear on broadway soon. she says "we'll keep dancing. we'll dance together again soon, doesn't end here." refers to tristan mcmanus, very enamored with her.

she was god-awful. >> the dance was that bad, really? >> just staring, moving, poking at her breasts -- like everybody would be -- persuaded by them. >> which they have been for the last 25 years of her career. pam, dubious distinction, first to get booted off. later, pam, we'll miss them, i mean you. all right -- also, madonna making controversy on her tour. the thing a few weeks ago, she had the swastika, people were outraged with that overseas. apparently, now she is kind of back in washington, d.c. causing another controversy. she was on stage and kind of chimed in on our politic -- politics, our presidential election. take a listen. >> the president got another -- big celebrity endorsement last night during a concert in washington, d.c., madonna told the crowd they should vote for obama in a very madonna-like way. >> you all better [ bleep ] for obama, okay? all right.

>> okay. so we have a black muslim in the white house. and in one token endorsing the president, saying vote for him. saying we have a black muslim in the white house. which is not true. the president is a christian. that issue seems to not die no matter what the facts seem to be. anyway, causes controversy. now they're debating in the blogosphere if she is sarcastic or misinformed about the president's religion. madonna in the headlines. >> just desperate for attention at this point in her career. not desperate, lady gaga, some photos spread out on the blogosphere and news organizations claiming she gained some weight. responding on littlemonsters.com, her website, admitting bulimia and anorexia is something she suffered with since 15. on the website posts pictures of her, dressed down like that. she says be brave, celebrate with us, perceived flaws. she posted a series of

half-naked images, alongside writing word that people kind of embrace the flaws. >> looking at her videos and she looks like she is in great physical shape the way she performs. you look, good, gaga, don't worry about the haters. >> that's right. performs. you look, good, gaga, don't worry about the haters. >> that's right. every time someone chooses finish over cascade,

it sparks a movement. because people can't keep it to themselves. look ! no ugly spots ! awesome! incredible shine. i'm switching for good. love, love, love finish! over a million people have switched to finish. try finish free. visit us on facebook.

♪ you talk too much ♪ you never shut up ♪ i said you talk too much >> i think my aunt dedicated that song to me when i was little. >> i like that song. >> we reported earlier about the outrage over the disgraceful call on monday night football unless you live in seattle. the seahawks grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat, due to horrific officiating by replacement referees. >> we put it out there, we asked you our facebook question of the day do you think the nfl replacement referees are hurting the game? >> i don't think the replacement referees would have anything to do with your 0-3 saints. they're helpless.

you can imagine our responses -- first up, maria made her point, painfully clear -- they made bad calls and slow down the game. the team owners make millions in profits and they need to respect the role that the professional refs play it just boils done to greed on the part of the owners. and it is the owners who lock out the permanent refs. >> to say nelson is irritated is an understatement. he he says -- this season is a joke, i would rather no football than what is happening out there. i will not be taking it seriously anymore and won't be watching. >> now, brian actually has a little bit of sympathy. he says i think there is not much difference between the old refs and the replacements. i can't count how many times the old refs missed a call. i believe everybody is looking for reasons for the new refs to fail. i say give them a break. and joel. >> insightful. >> joel speaks for joe sixpack out there. saying, quote, maybe when more fans quit watching the games or buying tickets, people who can directly do something to end this labor

dispute will lose enough revenue and do something for us. maybe then football will be worth watching again. but people, people in this country, myself included you included love our football. tune in every sunday no matter what. unless there is a dip in revenue or ratings what is going to prompt the owners besides of just wanting the game to get back its integrity of good officiating. >> i like brian's point too. people are looking for a reason to pounce on replacement refs. there are blown calls in just about every game. >> these have been particularly egregious. >> agreed. definitely. but, let's just keep in mind -- it's not their fault they're put in a bad situation. it is the owners who have locked out the permanent refs. need to get something done. they met on tuesday. hopefully. >> have to wonder what the owner of the green bay packers thinks on his stance of the lockout and seeing what the potential is. that's all right. and my saints will bounce back. still winning the wnn nfl picks competition. over you. just saying. more from abc next!

>> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades. action i loelve telling big stories about big heroes. but, at the end of the day, real life is better than y story. our service men and wowomen are the real heroes. every day they make the sacrifices for their country; for my country; for my son's country. the uso gives us real ways to support our real heroes. there is a way w we casay thanks. you can go to uso.org and make a real difference in their lives today. do it.